Car-coupling



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

THOMAS e. ELAGKMAN, In., oF OZAEK, ALABAMA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part 'ef Letters Patent Ne. 502,274, dated August1, 189e.

Application tiled December 29| To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS G. BLACKMAN, J r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Ozark, in the county of Dale and State of Alabama,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to lwhich it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in car couplings andmoreparticularly to that class of couplings which are generally known astwin jaws and in which a drawhead having a curved or substantiallyconcave outer face is used in connection witha pivoted knuckle. In manycouplings of this class it frequently happens that unless the cars arebrought together with a great degree of force a coupling is not effectedas the shank'of the knuckle is not driven back far enough to en able thelocking mechanism to operate.l

The object of my said invention is to produce a coupling of this classwhich will be certain in its action no matter with what deey gree offorce the cars are brought together, whether the maximum or minimum.

My said invention further consists in cer-V tain novelty in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various-parts all ofwhich I will now proceed to point out and describe, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a top plan view of myinvention, showing the same coupled; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame, dotted lines indicating the position of the locking pins whenuncoupled. Fig. 3 is a top plan of one drawhead and coupling device,showin g same in position to couple. Fig. LLis an end view of onedraw-head. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view of a portion of one of thedraw-heads; Fig. 6 a perspective view of a portion of the drawhead, andFig. 7 a perspective of the coupling knuckle.

Referring to said drawings: A indicates a draw-bar of the ordinaryconstruction which may be attached to the cars in any preferred manner.

B is a draw head preferably formed integral with the draw bar, but whichmay be formed separately and secured to said draw va curved louter, side1892. Serial No. 456,649@ (No model.)

bar. Said draw head has a curved or substantially concave outer facewhich terminates on one the opposite side being provided with upper andlower projecting lugs D, D, having bolt holes d, d, registeringvertically with each other. Said draw head is further provided withcurved bearing surfaces d', d', for the axis of the knuckle hereinafterdescribed, Between the bearing surfaces and extending transverselythrough the draw head is a hori- Zontal slot E, having a straightbearing surface e, extending at right angles to the longitudinal centerline of the draw bar. Said slot continues also nearly to the end of thebeveled extension G.l

F is a curved coupling knuckle, having the curved shouldersf,whichengagethe bearin g surfaces e', e', the knuckle being pivoted tothe draw head. by a bolt G passing through ,the bolt holes d, in thelugs D, and through a bolt hole g, in the shoulder f.

H is the Ashank of the knuckle formed integral therewith and beinglocated Within the slotl E. Said shank is substantially parallel withthe knuckle andis formed with a straight rear side h, adapted toengagethe straight :bearing surface e, of the slot E, when the -coupling iseffected, and is also provided with Y or face, h adapted to beengagedbythe outer face of the knuckle of the coupling on the adjacentcar and be forced back withinl the'slot E as the cars are being coupled.When coupled the outer curved lface of the shank conforms to vand isflush with the outer curved concave face of the draw head. At the end ofthe curved face h', the shank is cut away in a straight line as at h2,and the outward movement of said shank and knuckle'is limited by saidcut away portion of the shank engaging a stop or the end I, of the slotin the beveled extension of the draw head.` Said shank projects throughthe horizontal slot E in the opposite side of the draw head from thepivotal point' of -the knuckle. Y vIn the beveled extension of the drawhead I formy a vertical hole or .aperture K in the portion above thetransverse slot and in the lower portion of said extension a similarhole K', registering vertically with the upper hole, said holes beingsubstantially opposite the side in a beveled extension C,-

IOC

pivotal point of the knuckle in a line taken at right angles to the drawbar. The lower hole is preferably longer than the upper or may bebeveled at its rear end.

L is a gravitating locking pin mounted in the upper hole K. Said pin isconnected by a flexible connection Z, such as a chain with a lever M,formed integral with a transverse rod N, mounted on the end of theplatform and provided with handles m, at each end of said lever or oneach side of the car.

The letters O, O, indicate stops which are secured to the front of theplatform, and which limit the upward movement of the levers M so as toprevent the locking pins from being drawn out of their seats when thecars are uncoupled. When said cars are uncoupled the shank of thecoupling knuckle projects beyond the face of the draw head and thecoupling pin rests upon the top of said shank. When the shanks areforced back within the slot in the draw head the pin drops from theshank and its lower end engages the hole 7c and holds the shank andknuckle in a coupled position.

R are horizontal slots formed in the outer ends of the knuckles and rare vertical pin holes by means of which the coupling can be used with acar provided with an ordinary link and pin coupling.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the abovedescription. Vhen the cars are uncoupled and the draw heads separatedthe coupling knuckles will be in the position shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings, their shanks projecting beyond the faces of the draw heads andthe locking pins resting upon said shanks asshown in dotted lines inFig. 2. Vhen the draw heads come together the outer ends of the couplingknuckles pass each other, engage the Shanks and force the same back intothe slots in said draw heads until the outercurved f face of the shankis substantially flush with the outer face of the draw head andreleasing the gravitating coupling pins which fall and engage the lowerholes K and lock the shanks and their knuckles in a coupled position. Itwill be readily seen that the cars are thus automatically coupled andthe coupling positively effected without regard to the degree of forcewith which said cars are brought together, it merely being necessary toforce the shauks back suiliciently to release the gravitating lockingpins. To uucouple the levers are used to withdraw the locking pins, andas the cars are drawn apart the knuckles are released from each other,the Shanks assuming the position heretofore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a twin jaw car coupling the combination with a draw head having aconcave outer face and a transverse horizontal slot therein of a curvedcoupling knuckle pivoted to said draw head and provided with a shanklocated in the transverse slot and having a curved outer face conformingto the concave face of the drawhead and adapted when coupled to be Hushwith said face and a gravitating locking pin mounted in the draw headand adapted to engage the shank and hold the same in a locked position,substantially as shown and described.

2. In a twin jaw car coupling the combination with a draw head having aconcave outer face and a transverse horizontal slot having a rearstraight bearing surface, of a curved coupling knuckle pivoted to thedraw head and provided with a shank located in the transverse slot andhaving a curved outer face conforming to the concave face of the drawhead and a rear straight side adapted to engage the straight bearingsurface of the transverse slot, and a gravitating coupling pin mountedin the draw head, all constructed, arranged and operating, substantiallyas shown and described.

3. In a twin jaw car coupling the combination with the draw head Bhaving a concave outer face and transverse horizontal slot E having arear straight bearing surface e and stops I. of a curved couplingknuckle F having a shank H located in the transverse slot and having thestraight rear side 71l and outer curved face 7L conforming to theconcave face of the draw head, and a gravitating coupling pin L mountedin the draw head and adapted to engage the shank and hold the sainecoupled, all constructed, arranged and operating, substantially as shownand described.

In testimony whereof I allix my signatu re in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS G. BLACKMAN, JR. lVitnesses:

C. BERNARD WERLE, S. BRAsI-IEARS.

